The present invention relates generally to an amusement apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a rotatable and pivotable riding toy.
Children enjoy playing on riding toys and playground, particularly toys that move in a generally cyclical, up and down, or circular motion. The classic teeter totter remains a favorite recreational toy for children. Children enjoy the sensation of jumping off, or being lifted from, the ground. Other toys which enable a child to sit and move in a generally circular manner are also traditional favorites. Children also enjoy bouncing toys including trampolines and large bouncing balls (often referred to as hippity-hop balls). Children particularly enjoy riding toys which enable them to expend energy. All of these toys provide essential proprioceptic input for developing children.
Existing riding toys including teeter totters and large rotating play devices, however, have a number of drawbacks. Traditional teeter totters require two children of generally equivalent weight to operate. Teeter totters typically provide only pivotal up and down motion about a fulcrum. The fixed up and down motion of the teeter totter typically does not attract a child""s attention for a long period of time. Additionally, teeter totters are typically not configured to soften the impact to the child from either end of the teeter totter contacting the ground. This often results in a jarring impact between one child and the ground when the second child lifts off the opposite end of the teeter totter. Rotating toys typically also do not include the ability for the child to move up and down. Additionally, rotating toys are often large, heavy, difficult to operate, difficult to stop and difficult to reverse in direction. Moreover, teeter totters and large rotating riding toys often have unsafe, sharp corners and edges. Some toys have attempted to combine a rotating riding toy with a single child teeter totter. Such devices often have a counterweight assembly dangerously suspended on an opposite end of the teeter totter type rod. The large and heavy counterweight assembly of such toys counteracts the movement of the child riding the toy such that the counterweight assembly swings left or right and up and down creating a safety hazard for children observing or playing nearby. Further, existing riding toys such as teeter totters and large rotatable toys are typically not suitable for home use due to their size and weight, and because such toys are not designed to softly impact the surface upon which the toys rest.
Large bouncing balls provide the ability for a child to bounce up and down and to direct the ball in different directions. However, such balls also are easily rotated, such that the handle rotates toward the surface, which often results in the child falling from the ball. The large bouncing balls can also be difficult for a child to control and can result in the child inadvertently bouncing in an undesired direction.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an improved riding toy which enables a single child to safely and easily bounce up and down and, if the child desires, to rotate about a fixed pivot point without inadvertently bouncing in an unintended direction. It would also be advantageous to provide a pivotable and rotatable toy that enables a child to softly impact the ground during bouncing. What is needed is an affordable rotatable and pivotable riding toy that is safe for home or playground use. Also, what is needed is a rotatable and pivotable riding toy that is easily adjustable to children of different sizes and does not include an unsafe outwardly projecting counterweight device. It would be advantageous to provide a bouncing toy that assists a child in lifting off the ground during bouncing.
The present invention provides a rotatable and pivotable amusement apparatus that safely enables a single child to easily bounce up and down or to easily rotate about a base. The present invention further provides an adjustable biasing device for upwardly biasing the child off a support surface and for assisting the child in bouncing. The adjustable biasing device easily adjusts to children of different sizes. The rotatable and pivotable amusement apparatus provides a resilient seat biasing device, enabling a child to softly and safely impact the ground during bouncing. The apparatus also maintains the seat in an upright position, thereby eliminating the risk of the resilient biasing device tipping over.
According to a principal aspect of the invention, an amusement apparatus includes a base, an arm and a seat biasing device. The base is configured for placement on a generally horizontal surface. The arm has a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end of the arm is rotatably and pivotally coupled to the base. The distal end of the arm includes a seat. The seat biasing device is coupled to the seat and configured to repeatedly and resiliently contact the surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, an amusement apparatus including a base, an arm and an adjustable biasing member. The base is configured for placement on a generally horizontal surface. The arm has a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end of the arm is rotatably and pivotally coupled to the base. The distal end of the arm includes a seat. The adjustable biasing member is coupled to the base and the proximal end of the arm, and the biasing member is configured to upwardly bias the seat of the arm.
According to another aspect of the invention, an amusement apparatus includes a base, an arm and a resilient ball. The base is configured for placement on a generally horizontal surface. The arm has a distal end, and the arm is rotatably and pivotally coupled to the base. The distal end of the arm includes a seat, and the resilient ball is coupled to the seat.
This invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described herein below, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.